The Hunger Games- Years Later
by thehungergamestrilogyfan
Summary: My story is set after Hunger Games Mockingjay. It is based on Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark and their twins- Ava and Luca. Just after the first chapter, it is their reaping (chapter 4). But who's name will be drawn this year? I DO NOT OWN ALL THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK! Please enjoy this and PLEASE LEAVE REVIEWS!
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1-

4 years later…

"Peeta! It's time to pick up the kids!" Katniss remembered.

She hadn't quite got used to school runs just yet. To her it seemed like yesterday that her and Peeta's twins, Ava and Luca, had been born but it had been 4 years.

"Okay honey, I'll be back in 10 minutes"

Katniss smiled. She loved Peeta. He was her true love now and she knew he felt the same way about her. Ever since the games she knew that she could trust him and he could trust her. The wedding was like a seal of their love and the twins were bundles of joy from the deepest depths of their hearts. Both Peeta and Katniss would do anything for them.

"Flame, I'm back!"

Ever since their marriage, Peeta had called Katniss, Flame, short for The Girl On Fire. She pretended to dislike it but inside she loved it. It sent a warm flush through her, yet so cold at the thought of Cinna's murder.

Katniss ran to greet her family.

"Hey!" she said, before kissing both twins on the head.

"How was school?" she asked,

"Good Mama" replied little Ava, her brunette hair spilling down her face in curls.

Peeta ran behind Ava and Luca and scooped them up into a hug. All three of them were in hysterical laughter on the floor just seconds later. They soon got up and walked through to the living room.

It was 4:30pm. The time Katniss rang her mother.

Katniss' mother was working in district 4 at a hospital as she couldn't face district 12 anymore after Prim's death and the destruction. Katniss shut the door behind her in her bedroom, and waited for her phone to ring.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2-

Peeta was with the twins. He loved them. He loved them with all his heart. Luca- his brave son, so intelligent and strong and Ava- so adorable and kind. Peeta enjoyed spending time with his children and wife more than anything else in the whole World. He loved baking with them, teaching them to paint and watching the sun set. It felt so surreal for him. His kids. Katniss' and his kids. Would he ever get used to the ideal life? The love of his life and his own children, together in the comfort of their own home.

This was what life was all about. It was, until the day of the reaping, 8 years on…


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3- 

Ava was nervous. It was reaping day. She and her brother Luca would be in for the chance of a ruined life. Like their parents. One thought kept going round and round in her head, spinning like a motor- her name or Luca's being picked out. When she was meant to be asleep she heard he Mum and Dad sharing experiences of their 2 goes in the games. Stories of love, murder and evil. She could never bring herself to kill anyone- yet her father survived without murdering, it was possible. Her mother had spoken to her earlier- telling her that she should not volunteer like she did. Ava knew it was because her mother thought Luca was stronger, and she was right.

Luca had butterflies in his stomach. No, not butterflies, more like lions, prowling, causing a huge sticky lump in the middle of his throat. He tried to keep calm but it hadn't worked. He had been strictly told by his mother not to volunteer. He didn't understand. If Ava's name was drawn, he would volunteer, like his mum. He knew Ava would do the same.

Katniss felt the same feeling she had felt before she had gone into the reaping herself. Her children. They were putting their lives on the line, like she did. She had told them both not to volunteer; she needed at least one child left. But that was not the only reason. Katniss regretted volunteering for Prim sometimes. Not because of her experience but how it was her fault Prim was murdered. All her fault. She caused a rebellion. A rebellion in which her sister was killed. She could not let Ava or Luca live with what she had to live with- guilt.

Peeta was petrified for his children. He had given them both extra bread this morning- in case they were picked, but also to ease there nerves, even if just slightly. He knew it was only a small chance that either of his children would get picked but he wouldn't be surprised if their names had been entered extra times. For more excitement. The victors' children- wouldn't that be good entertainment? He was finding it hard to suppress his emotions. But he had to for Ava and Luca.


	4. Chapter 4- The Reaping

**CHAPTER 4-**

Ava and Luca stood, side by side, hand in hand. They knew what was going to happen. They had already had their finger pricked for ID. They watched the video which had been played too many times. Nobody cared. Over 12's stood there worried about being picked and older relatives stood their worried about their friends and family being picked.

Tiffany Molly, the late Effie Trinket's replacement (who Katniss thought couldn't be replaced), stood on the stage, her gold hair glistening in the light with her metallic eyeliner. Ava looked at her- not in inspiration, but in disgust. How can she stand there- her fake smile beaming across her face. Luca couldn't think about it. Next to Tiffany, two huge glass bowls, filled with the names of every person of the allowed age in the whole district, one bowl for each sex. Any minute now, 2 names will be pulled, one from each bowl. One male and one female.

Tiffany reached over to the female's bowl, her short insensible dress steadily creeping up her legs. She reached in and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper, sealed at the back. The audience stood, stiff, holding their breaths, not daring to breathe out and make a sound. Slowly, the sticker at the back was peeled back, she looked- as if preparing herself to ruin someone's life, but pretending it didn't bother her.

"Ladies first of course, and standing up for our district, bravely, is… Ava Mellark,"

At the back of the audience, Katniss screamed,

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Peeta grabbed her arm, in a failed attempt to calm her. He stood there, staring ahead, confused, not believing what he'd heard, hoping he'd heard wrong, but deep down he knew the truth. Katniss carried on screaming, so was swiftly pulled further away from Peeta by a peacekeeper, to the back.

Luca burst into tears, everyone looking at him, but he couldn't stop. He couldn't even volunteer against his mother's will because Ava was a girl. He couldn't bear to watch his sister stand there, risking her life for the district. Innocent.

Tiffany seemed slightly effected by this, her arm wrapped around Ava.

"Next for the boys!" she informed.

She yet again, for the last time this year, reached over into the male box.

She seemed like she didn't want to say it, but she had to.

"Representing our district for the men is…..Luca Mellark!"

The young 12 year old boy made his way up to the stage, struggling to walk, to be with his sister.

Katniss yelled, trying to make her way to the stage like for Prim, having to be pulled back by the Peacekeepers, She didn't know what to do- it felt like the whole world was against her. Again. She saw her twins walk behind the stage, and then it all went black.

Peeta wanted to run away. Run from this district. Run from this world. Run from life. But he had to stay strong for Katniss, of whom had been injected to go to sleep in her state, apparently like what happened when he was taken to the Capitol after the games, and she attacked Haymitch. Peeta couldn't move from the spot he was in. Was this a dream? No, he'd been surrounded by people, apologising to him for his loss, as if they didn't believe either of them would make it. Did he think they could? If he could, they could. His brave twins.

Luca and Ava went of with Tiffany, a quite daunting person for a 12 year old. They didn't speak. Just walked. Followed.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5-**

Ava and Luca were rushed into a room, through a stone door. They were quiet. Silent. The only sound made from them was the squeak of their mouths, compressing in sobs.

Tiffany was no good with children. She'd never really had to deal with them as an only child. Especially not crying ones. She didn't know what to do.

"There, there children. It's okay. I will take you to the….um…visiting room" She didn't seem like she really knew. "I'll meet you on the train in 10 minutes.

Ava and Luca looked at each other- the train. They'd heard their parents speak about the luxuries they found there, and their victor- Haymitch. They didn't have time to even glance at each other for more than a second, before being separated and violently pulled and pushed into a concrete room. Nothing in there made it seem in the slightest bit comforting. They sat there, trying to keep their emotions under wraps. Didn't Tiffany say "visiting room" which surely meant their parents would be coming.

Luca sat on the floor. Then suddenly, with force, the door flung open, his Father being shoved in. For a second no words were exchanged. What should either of them say? "Congratulations on being accepted for slaughter" wouldn't make anyone feel better. So instead, Peeta embraced his son in a manly hug, tapping his back, not letting go.

"Daddy, what do I have to do? To survive?" Peeta looked up as his son spoke. His voice sounded to young for that sort of question. Peeta thought for a moment about what he'd learnt. He remembered asking Haymitch the same question. He smiled half-heartedly to himself at the memory.

"Just don't light a fire. Or go to the cornucopia, its not safe there. If Ava goes there just…run. Run as fast as you can and hope for the best. But before that, glance at her, as if to say she shouldn't go there either, she should follow you." A look of sorrow crossed Peeta's face- is this all he could offer his son? He had to lighten the mood, so he made a joke-

"And eat the chocolate cake on the train. It's delicious." Luca tried to smile. Before bursting into tears.

Peeta reached for his pocket and removed a photo of their family- Luca, Ava, Peeta and Katniss. Luca stared at the photo.

"I can't kill her." He sighs.

At that moment Peeta is dragged out of the room.

"Goodbye son. I love you"

At the same time of this conversation

At the same time of the men of the families' conversation, Katniss was visiting her daughter. Thoughts were racing around her mind- what to say, what to do, how to leave her daughter behind to die. Her life for the Capitol.

As soon as she walked in the room, Ava ran at her, crying hysterically. It pained Katniss to see. It's every mother's worst nightmare.

"It' okay. You'll be okay honey. Mummy's here." Katniss made soothing noises to calm her daughter.

Katniss reached for her pocket, releasing her Mocking jay pin.

"For you Ava" She whispers.

Ava carefully pins it to the inside of her blouse.

"I love you Mummy. I will win for you, if I can. I will stay with Luca." She says, her voice trying to be stern and strong.

Their hands are soon parted as a peacekeeper pulls them apart, Katniss and Ava's eyes filling with tears. Ava clasped her face with her hands.

After his conversation with Luca, Peeta was taken to Ava's room. He had something for her, too. A ring. But no ordinary ring. One he had made himself, and painted. He'd painted a sunset in beautiful colours. Ava loved sunsets as much as her Dad. He delicately passed it to her.

Ava examined it.

"Oh Daddy, it's beautiful, thank you." She says, a gently tone to her voice.

"I' glad you like it." Peeta says. "I have a piece of advice for you Ava- follow your brother at the start. Do not go-…." He was cut off as he was dragged out by a peacekeeper, the door slamming behind him. Ava sat that in silence. That was a short meeting. Too short.

After her meeting with Ava, Katniss went to visit her son. She had a feeling this meeting would be different to her last. She walked in. She saw Luca's face and smiled. He smiled back, acting as if nothing phased him.

"You don't have to pretend your okay honey. I'm your mum and I love you very much." Katniss said in a soothing voice.

"I-.." Katniss cut him off.

"Shhh.." She whispered. Her finger to her lips, as if to quiet him.

She reached to her neck, pulling out her pendant. The one Peeta had specially custom designed and made for her in the games. The one with the pictures of her mother, Prim and Gale. But she had changed it. She'd removed the pictures of her loved ones, tucking them safely into her bedroom drawer and had replaced them with a picture of her, Peeta and Ava. She passed it to her son.

Luca dropped his hard face, his emotions seeped through and he cried.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry. It's just so thoughtful. Thanks Mum."

Katniss smiled. The next thing she knew she had two strong hands on her shoulders. She didn't budge. So they punched her in the back. She tried not to seem in pain- for Luca. That's the last thing he needed right now. It reminded her of when Cinna, her stylist, was murdered in front of her right before the games, before her very eyes and there was nothing she could do about it from behind glass. So she smiled.

She mustered the words to say something last minute.

"Just survive…" She muttered.

And all doors were closed.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6-**

A few minutes later Luca and Ava were released from the room where normal life was left behind. They were rushed into the train with Tiffany. They entered and Tiffany made it seem so normal, sitting down on a cushioned seat, Ava and Luca stood there in awe, their feet glued to the ground. Shiny glasses, ceramic plates, mahogany tables. They had no idea it would be THIS good. They had some idea from their parents but this was amazing. However, deeper down, past the amazement, was a hatred and confusedness. There were more luxuries in the first cab of the train than in the whole of District 12. How was that fair? It wasn't.

Luca and Ava were lead to their separate rooms. Each with an empty feeling in the pit of their stomach, a gaping hole where their parents were meant to be- currently missing. Luca made his way back to the first cab on the train, closing his temporary bedroom door behind him, remembering what his Dad had said about the chocolate cake. He could hear Tiffany trying to calm Ava's crying next door therefore he decided to get her a slice too. He went to the mahogany table and picked up 2 delicate looking china plates and silver forks along with 2 neatly folded napkins. He carefully balanced each slice one at a time on the utensil on the side- one Luca had never seen before, allowing him to cut and pick up the slice at the same time. He carried the plates back to the dorms and gently knocked on Ava's door. He could hear sniffles from inside and nose blowing before the door swung open.

"I will…umm...leave you two to it" and with a sympathetic smile Tiffany left the room, heels tapping against the shiny, polished floor.

Ava waved at her brother, gesturing him over towards her bed. Together they sat and ate the deliciously rich chocolate cake, silently, thinking of their parents and what to expect. They had the option to watch videos of previous Hunger Games but they turned the offer down, the last thing they needed right now was to watch their parents fight for their lives.

The train went under a tunnel and the Capitol could be seen. Both children ran to the train window, admiring the views of the tall buildings and shining lights. A few minutes later they had arrived at a train station- cameras being thrust at the windows, trying to sneak a peek at the District 12 tributes. They waved- remembering listening to their parents in bed at night speaking of the importance of popularity and votes and how they saved their lives because of their star-crossed love made by Haymitch, who would not be their Mentor or Katniss or Peeta but someone new because it would be an unfair advantage according to the Capitol as Haymitch mentored their parents and now suffers worse alcohol problems and Katniss and Peeta are their parents. They would meet their mentor when they arrived at their destination.

The train came to a halt. Hand in hand, smiles on faces, Ava and Luca walked out on to the station platform, minding the gap, followed by Tiffany, guiding them along with her hands just missing their backs, as if they had some sort of germs she could do without. She smiled a plastic smile, strutting along in another pair of high heeled shoes.


End file.
